{"id":151,"date":"2024-05-29T23:01:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T23:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/?page_id=151"},"modified":"2024-05-29T23:01:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T23:01:11","slug":"the-ceteris-paribus-assumption","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/learning-pathways\/supply-demand-and-equilibrium\/the-ceteris-paribus-assumption\/","title":{"rendered":"The ceteris paribus assumption"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content\" class=\"mw-body container\" role=\"main\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<div id=\"bodyContent\">\n<div id=\"mw-content-text\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"mw-content-ltr\">\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The Latin phrase ceteris paribus means \u201call other things remaining equal.\u201d  Because there are multiple factors influencing any one variable, economists apply this assumption in order to segregate the effect that one factor has on the variable in the question, keeping all other factors unchanged.  In other words, if we want to examine the effect of one (independent) variable on another (dependent) variable, we need to ensure, through the ceteris paribus assumption, that the effect of other independent variables on the dependent variable is constant.  We will encounter this term quite often throughout this course.\n<\/p>\n<p>Read this brief text to learn the formal definition of ceteris paribus. As a practice activity, identify a variable and list the multiple factors that may be influencing it. For example, say you are planning to request an increase in your salary. What are the factors that influence your salary? Do you think you can attribute the change in your salary to any one of these factors if all of the factors influencing it were simultaneously changing?\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"objectives\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_objectives.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Objectives<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li> Provide an example of the use of the ceteris paribus assumption in macroeconomics and in microeconomics.\n<\/li>\n<li> Explain the rationale for the assumption of ceteris paribus.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Key_points\">Key points<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li> When <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/ceteris-paribus\">ceteris paribus<\/a> is employed in economics, all other <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/variable\">variables<\/a> with the exception of the variables under evaluation are held constant.\n<\/li>\n<li> An example of the use of ceteris paribus in <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/macroeconomics\">macroeconomics<\/a> is: what would happen to the <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/demand\">demand<\/a> for <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/labor\">labor<\/a> by <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/firm\">firms<\/a> if a <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/minimum-wage\">minimum wage<\/a> was imposed at a level above the prevailing wage rate, ceteris paribus.\n<\/li>\n<li> An example of the use of ceteris paribus in <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/microeconomics\">microeconomics<\/a> is: what would happen for the demand for a <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/normal-good\">normal good<\/a> when income increases, ceteris paribus.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Term\">Term<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/definition\/ceteris-paribus\/\">ceteris paribus<\/a><br \/>\nall else equal; holding everything else constant\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Ceteris_Paribus\">Ceteris Paribus<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Economics seeks to interpret, analyze and or evaluate situations that occur between individuals, firms and other entities. Due to the potential for multiple agents and other known and unknown external activities to be involved or present but not relevant to an analysis, economics employs the assumption of &#8220;all else constant,&#8221; which is the English translation of the Latin phrase &#8220;ceteris paribus&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>When the ceteris paribus assumption is employed in economics, all other variables &#8211; with the exception of the variables under evaluation &#8211; are held constant.\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"A_macroeconomic_example\">A macroeconomic example<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What would happen to the demand for labor by firms if a minimum wage was imposed at a level above the prevailing wage rate, ceteris paribus? As depicted in below, the <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/supply\">supply<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/demand-curve\">demand curve<\/a> are held constant, as are labor and leisure preferences for workers, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/output\">output<\/a> considerations for firms, in addition to all other variables and characteristics embedded within the shape of the supply and demand curves. Thus, what is being evaluated is the impact of a constraint on market <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/equilibrium\">equilibrium.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"floatnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Surplus_from_price_floor.png\" class=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Surplus from price floor.png\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/7\/72\/Surplus_from_price_floor.png\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Macroeconomics:_Binding_price_floor\">Macroeconomics: Binding price floor<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>E is the equilibrium wage level when there is no binding minimum wage. When a minimum wage is imposed, ceteris paribus, suppliers of labor are willing to provide more labor than firms (demand for labor) are willing to purchase at the binding minimum wage rate. There is no shifting of either curve related to behavior influenced by the higher wage rate because ceteris paribus is holding labor-leisure trade-off (of workers) and substitution of labor (by firms) constant, along with other potential influencing variables.\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"A_microeconomic_example\">A microeconomic example<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What would happen for the demand for a normal good when income increases, ceteris paribus? In this case, as depicted in the image below, a consumer&#8217;s preferences for the good and their demand for <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/complement\">complements<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/substitute\">substitutes<\/a> are being held constant along with other attributes that could potentially impact their demand for a good, such as the good&#8217;s <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/price\">price<\/a>. The supply of the good and the market and firm characteristics implicit in the shape of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/definition\/supply-curve\">supply curve<\/a> are also held constant. This allows for an analysis of the increase in income, on the consumer&#8217;s demand for the single good alone.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"floatnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Supply-and-demand.png\" class=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Supply-and-demand.png\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/6\/68\/Supply-and-demand.png\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Microeconomics:_Income_and_demand\">Microeconomics: Income and demand<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A consumer is able to purchase a normal good and has a demand curve, D1, which provides the relationship between price and quantity given his preferences, income and other consumption attributes. Assuming an increase in their income, ceteris paribus, their demand curve would shift outward to D2, corresponding to a higher quantity for each purchase price. The consumer would then move their consumption for the good from Q1 to Q2, increasing their purchase of the good.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSource: Boundless. \u201cCeteris Paribus.\u201d Boundless Economics. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 22 Oct. 2015 from <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external free\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/textbooks\/1515\/introducing-supply-and-demand-3\/demand-46\/ceteris-paribus-172-12270\/\">https:\/\/www.boundless.com\/economics\/textbooks\/1515\/introducing-supply-and-demand-3\/demand-46\/ceteris-paribus-172-12270\/<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- \nNewPP limit report\nCPU time usage: 0.027 seconds\nReal time usage: 0.034 seconds\nPreprocessor visited node count: 139\/1000000\nPreprocessor generated node count: 855\/1000000\nPost\u2010expand include size: 1877\/2097152 bytes\nTemplate argument size: 466\/2097152 bytes\nHighest expansion depth: 7\/40\nExpensive parser function count: 0\/100\n--><\/p>\n<p><!-- Saved in parser cache with key we_en-mw_:pcache:idhash:176997-0!*!*!!*!2!* and timestamp 20240529163041 and revision id 1003527\n -->\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"visualClear\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n<ul class=\"pager\">\n<li class=\"previous\">\n            <a href=\"\/miec101\/learning-pathways\/supply-demand-and-equilibrium\/introduction-and-objectives\">\u2190 Previous<\/a>\n          <\/li>\n<li class=\"next\">\n            <a href=\"\/miec101\/learning-pathways\/supply-demand-and-equilibrium\/demand\">Next \u2192<\/a>\n          <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"wenote-ids\"><script type='text\/javascript' id='wenotes-ids'>\n    var WEnotesSite = \"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\";\n    var WEnotesPath = \"\/Introduction_to_principles_of_microeconomics\/Ceteris_paribus\";\n    var WEnotesSiteID = \"0e3d258fbd36841f92259eefcd41d5e9\";\n    var WEnotesPathID = \"5ef5de9828ada22bb15c078d8265c36e\";\n    var WEnotesIDs = { site: \"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\", path: \"\/Introduction_to_principles_of_microeconomics\/Ceteris_paribus\", site_id: \"0e3d258fbd36841f92259eefcd41d5e9\", path_id: \"5ef5de9828ada22bb15c078d8265c36e\" };\n<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer><\/footer>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Latin phrase ceteris paribus means \u201call other things remaining equal.\u201d Because there are multiple factors influencing any one variable, economists apply this assumption in order to segregate the effect that one factor has on the variable in the question, keeping all other factors unchanged. In other words, if we want to examine the effect [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":145,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-151","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":152,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/151\/revisions\/152"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/miec101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}